Collapsible cellular carton



Aug. 5, 1952 K. T. BUTTERY COLLAPSIBLE CELLULAR CARTON 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Original Filed Nov. 1, 1945 IN V EN TOR. Keri/722V; Z ELI/[e BY j 14 TTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 Kenneth T. Buttery,

Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo,

Mich.

Original application November 1,1945, Serial No.

Divided and this application January 22, 1947,Serial No. 723,613 I 1 Claim. (01. 229-28) The invention relates to collapsible cellular cartons.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 626,069, filed November 1, 1945, now Patent No. 2,562,233.

The main objects of the invention are:

First, to provide a cellular carton of the egg carton type which is very rigid when set up.

Second, to provide a cellular carton of this type in which the end transfer partitions or end walls of the carton are supported so that they are not likely to become disengaged and swing out at the ends of the carton.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow, The invention is defined in th claim.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carton embodying my invention disclosed.

Fig. 2 is an inverted fragmentary perspective view showing an end portion of the bottom of the carton.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal section through one row of cells on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, prior to the vertical erection of the cellularpartitions and end walls of the carton.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

I have illustrated and described my invention as embodied in an egg carton adapted to receive a dozen eggs. The carton is preferably formed of an integral blank as shown in Fig. 5 and comprises front wall I, rear wall 2, these walls constituting the side walls of the carton.

The bottom members 3 are hingedly secured to the bottom edges of the front and rear walls at 4, preferably by scoring. The bottom members are hingedly joined to the longitudinal partition members 5 along the score lines 6. The bottom members have transverse slots 1 and 8 therein, th slots 8 being the end slots. The outer edges of the slots 8 have inwardly projecting tongues Ill. The bottom also has cross incisions ll intermediate the slots to provide cushioning elements.

The longitudinal partition members 5 are secured together in side by side relation, preferably adhesively, and each member is provided with alternating elongated holes l2 and flaps [3, the flaps being elongated also and hingedly joined at M to their respective partition member. The

flaps are somewhat smaller than the holes. The flaps-and holes are arranged so that the flap of one longitudinal partition member is aligned with the hole of the other when the partition members are securedtogether, as is shown in Fig. 3. g The slot and flap construction above described is not claimed herein but forms the subject matter of the above referred to parent application. 7

The top members designated generally by the numeral I5 are hingedly connected at their inner edges as indicated at [6 to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members 5 and they are hingedly connected at I! to the sealing strips l8. These sealing strips are joined in the blank by the fracturing line l9.

The top members I5 are slitted and scored to provide transverse partitions 20 and end members 2| which are adapted to project through the slots 1 and 8 respectively in the bottom 3 when the carton is erected. The end members 2| have holes 22 therein receiving the tongues ID, the tongues preventing the end members being swung out at the ends of the carton and thereby releasing the contents of the end cells. The tongues I0 project inwardly from the outer edges of the slots 8 for a distance substantially less than the width of the slots 8 as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This facilitates insertion of the end walls into the slots 8 and the outward swinging of the end walls in the slots for engagement of the holes 22 thereof over the tongues 10.

The sealing flaps 18 ar secured in an upturned relation to the front and rear walls I and 2, as shown in Fig. 1. the upper edge of the sealing flap secured to the front wall I being preferably fiush with the upper edge of the front wall. This materially increases the rigidity of the front wall particularly at the upper edge thereof. It is also desirable to increase the rigidity of the rear wall although th increased rigidity of the front wall is more important.

The slits of the top members ii ar arranged so that the hinge members 23 are of triangular shape with their edges 24 facing inwardly. These hinge members constitute keepers with which the tongues 25 on the closure flap 26 of the cover 2'! may engage. The cover 21 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall at 28.

The top members are also cut to provide upwardly projecting supporting tongues 32 which support the center of the cover and further facilitate the opening as the cover cannot spring inwardly. These cover supporting members coact with the other features in facilitating the enthis disclosure will enable those skilled in the" art to embody or adapt my invention as .may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

4 walls and hinged connections therefor to said longitudinal partitions and to said front and rear walls whereby said transverse partitions may swing to erected position and whereby said end walls may swing to erected position with the lower ends extending into said slots in said bottom members, said opposite end walls having holes therein receiving said longitudinally inwardly projecting tongues, outward pressure against the opposite end walls being toward the base of said tongues connected to said outer edges of saidslots to lock each opposite end wall against outward displacement when in erected A carton comprising front and rear walls,-

bottom members joined to the lower edges of position, the inner edges of said slots being substantially spaced longitudinally inwardly of the carton'from the free ends of said tongues to facilitate insertion of the end walls into said said front and rear walls and inclined upwardly from said edges, said bottom members having transverseslots adjacent the opposite ends thereof, tongues projecting longitudinallyi-nwardly of the carton from the outer edges of saids'l'ots, said outer edges being t lose disposed closestjthe ends of the carton, long itudinal partition members joined to the inner'edgesof the bottom members and secured in side by side relation and top members 'hingedl'y' joined to the upper edges of the longitudinal partition members and secured to the inner sides of said front and rear walls adjacent their upper edges, said top members being slitted and scored toprovide a plurality of transverse partitions and opposite end slots and insertion of said tongues into the holes of said end walls, said inner edges being the edges disposed farthest from the ends of the carton.

KENNETH T. BU'I'IERY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

